Bonding rabbits | The 24/7 method & why I HATE it!
Let's talk about the 24/7 bonding method in rabbits & why I hate it so much ⚠️ I have seen a popular method of bonding floating around the bunny community, which, in my opinion, is just stress bonding that has been re-branded. In short, the 24/7 bonding method is where unfamiliar rabbits are placed in a small pen, often with no enrichment in attempts to bond them, the space is increased or decreased depending on the progress, or the rabbits have to be separated due to extreme fights.
While this technique can see results, it is often not the best way to bond prey animals together & can result in the rabbit's experiencing learned helplessness due to the extreme stress with no way out. In other words they just shut down as they feel there is no other way out of the situation, circus animals often experience learned helplessness due to their harsh training methods. This method also has a higher chance of broken bonds or fights down the line due to the animals not being able to form a true friendship or get to know each other in a proper setting.
Now, I'm not trying to say anyone who uses or promotes this technique is doing so maliciously, but think back to popular dog trainers & techniques used 10/20 years ago (Cesar Millan) or even the fact that many experts believed it was okay to keep rabbits in a hutch, at one point society thought these things were okay & the norm. However, knowledge of the species brings a greater understanding of their needs & in turn new techniques of training, husbandry and even bonding as our knowledge of their welfare needs grows. If I see something that I believe to be a welfare issue within the rabbit community I can't help but speak up for those who can't speak for themselves & don't choose to be bonded in this unnecessarily stressful manner.
#rabbitcare #cutebunny #rabbitlifestyle